Car Rides With Aunties and Cousins (Poster 7)
Sat, April 13, 9:35 to 11:05am, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 100, Room 118BAbstract
Here, we share work that sprouted from a larger project that aims to engage Asian American, Black, and Latine middle schoolers as co-researchers and co-designers of racial justice in mathematics education. We have been asking ourselves what it could mean to show up for the youth not in typical teacher or researcher ways but as aunties and cousins, drawing on our backgrounds as Asian Americans—specifically, as a second generation Hmong American and a third generation Chinese American. With this poster, we draw on our conversations during car rides to and from schools to explore the intersections between our multiple ethnic, familial, and professional identities, and the possibilities for teaching, learning, and researching that can be created when adults and youth bring their full selves and their communities’ intergenerational cultural wealth to the table. Below, we share the journey of this work as a creative dialogue, true to our process and our goals.
A1: I’m tired. These early mornings suck.
A2: Me too. And our meeting today felt like busy work, just doing school. I don’t think they saw the purpose of the research skills we were trying to teach.
A1: Is this even what we want to do? It doesn’t feel right. Like we’re not really reimagining math ed or math ed research yet.
A2: Yeah. Maybe it’s not the direction we need to go. –You know how you talked about big family dinners at your aunt’s house growing up?
A1: (triumphantly) Yeah! A feast to feed thousands!
A2: (laughing)
A1: For real, it felt like that much food. My aunties were seriously bending reality to create this space outside of white supremacy where we were all royalty.
A2: I love that. It makes me think of dinners at my aunties’ houses, too. Although at the same time—did this ever happen to you, where your auntie would give you a job just to give you a purpose, and like a place in the family?
A1: Oh yeah for sure. Like washing grapes. I was such an inefficient grape washer. But it made me feel so important.
A2: What would it be like to do that in math group? (tentatively) Could we like, cook together?
A1: I totally have a hot plate we can use.
A2: We should! (pause) Okay wait, before I get all carried away, can we talk about our presentation for a sec?
A1: Yeah, I’ll look at the slides Friday. I’ll be in a car for 7 hours driving to a wedding.
A2: Oo who’s getting married?
A1: My cousin. I haven’t seen these cousins in a long time. Maybe since my grandpa’s funeral? I’m really excited. Like I think this will be a good chance to reconnect. I’m trying to be a better cousin.
A2: Same. Like I can reach out even if I’m not sure they’ll answer. –I feel like this is related to what we’re trying to do with the kids in math group. Like, rebuilding, and protecting our families.
A1: OMG yes!